In brief
A fire broke out in the basement of a shoe factory in Delhi, affecting workers on upper floors. Six people were rescued, four of whom died at the hospital, while two sustain injuries. Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause.
A fire broke out in the basement of a shoe factory in Delhi’s Mangolpuri industrial zone on Friday night, resulting in the deaths of four workers and injuries to two others, authorities said Saturday.
The incident was first reported by Xinhua, which said that the fire spread rapidly through the building, trapping workers on the upper levels and forcing a severe evacuation effort.
Xinhua police officials identified the blast as having started in the basement, where unresolved electrical faults are suspected, and the intense smoke prevented workers from exiting the upper floors.
Xinhua police spokesperson said:
"Six people were rescued from inside the factory in an unconscious condition and rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri," the statement added.
According to the same police source, the hospital declared four of the rescued men dead, while the remaining two were reported to be undergoing treatment for smoke inhalation and other injuries.
Police investigators have started an inquiry into the cause of the blaze, with preliminary findings pointing to the basement as the origin point. The investigation will examine the factory’s safety protocols and electrical systems.
Officials noted that the factory was part of the manufacturing cluster in the Mangolpuri Industrial area, a region known for its dense concentration of small and medium footwear production units and the associated fire hazards typical of such facilities.
In response to the incident, fire crews were dispatched to the factory premises within half an hour of the first emergency call. Rescue teams managed to recover the unconscious employees from the roof and stairwell, where many had sheltered during the fire.
The fire department’s chief said that all rescued workers were transported to the nearest hospital for medical evaluation, though no official confirmation of fatalities had yet been released at the time of the report.
Witnesses on site described a sudden rush of flames from the lower factory floor, a sudden rise in smoke that forced workers to hastily ascend the stairwell and then flee through the emergency exits that proved insufficient for the number of employees present inside the shop.
As the investigation unfolds, Xinhua reports that the Delhi Police have called for a review of fire safety standards in the region’s industrial estates to prevent similar tragedies in the future.